Dual wheel suspension



May 2; 1950 4 KROTZ I 2,506,367

DUAL II-IEEL SUSPENSION Filed Dec. 31, 1946 tially shown in Fig. 1. The tractor II has a frame shafts 22 of the springs in a cantilever fashion;

Patented May 2. 1950 2,506,361

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUAL WHEEL SUSPENSION Alvin S. Krotz, Akron, Ohio, mignor to The B. F.

Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December :1, 1946, Serial No. 710,441 11 cum. (Cl. 28041) This invention relates to vehicle suspensions for limiting axial movement of the housing and especially to dual or multiple wheel suspenstructure relative to the post and iorreducing sions in which an independent type of suspenfrictional resistance to turning of the housing sion is desired and the space provided for the structure about the post. A collar It is threaded suspension is very limited. on the lower end of the post it for securing the The invention is useful especially where it is lower set of bearings IE to the post and an annudesirable that the wheel positions conform to lar sealing member I I is disposed in a peripheral the ground contour as for instance in the susslotinthe collarinsuchamanner that it will abut pension of tractor dual front wheels which are the housing structure It for sealing the bearings mounted for steering movement. Other vehicles from dirt or other foreign matter. for which such independent, compact suspensions A steering arm I! is mounted on the housing are desirable are heavy-duty trailers which are structure it for turning the housing structure constructed with several closely-spaced transabout the post It. The arm I 8 extends radially verse and longitudinal rows of wheels for supportoutward from the structure, and a connecting ing loads carried by the trailers. 15 rod is is mounted on the outer 'end for trans- The tricycle or row-type tractors are conferrlng motion of the steering mechanism to the structed with dual front wheels spaced closely steering arm l8. together to facilitate steering and passage of the A pair of integral tubular supporting members wheels between the rows of crops. Independent 30, 30 is disposed generally crosswise of the tracsuspension of these wheels is' desirable as the tor at the lower portion and at opposite sides of increased cushioningreduces the wear upon the the housing structure and reinforced by gusset: wheels, tires and other parts of the tractor and 29. Spring assemblies are mounted in the tubuthe resultant prolongation of ground contact of lar supporting members 30, each spring asthe wheels improves the steering qualities and sembly including a shaft 20 disposed therein. the resistance to sideslip of the tractor. 26 An outer sleeve 2| is disposed. about the shaft Objects of the invention are to provide an im- 20 and a circumferentially discontinuous or split proved suspension for vehicles with closely shell member 22 is interposed between the sleeve mounted wheels, to provide a compact suspension 2| and the shaft 20. A resilient body 23 of rubarrangement, to provide longitudinal, vertical her or other rubber-like material is interposed and transverse flexibility of the mounting, to pro- 30 between the split shell member 22 and the shaft vide ease of installation, effectiveness of opera- 28 and mounted on the split shell and shaft by tion and a minium of maintenance. suitable means such as vulcanization.

These and further objects will be apparent The outer sleeve 2| is mounted in the respecfrom the following description, reference being tive tubular member 30 and may be secured to had to the accompanying drawings in which: the member 30 by welding or in other suitable Fig. 1 is an elevation of a tractor having a front manner. The split shell member 22 is secured suspension constructed in accordance with and to the outer sleeve 2| as by keys or dowels which embodying the invention, parts being broken may be disposed in openings in the outer sleeve away 2| and in the slot between the portions of the Fig. 2 is a section of the suspension taken along shell. l

line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away and Each shaft 20 ,is connected by an arm 2| to a the wheels being shown in broken lines. spindle 25 on which a wheel 28 of the vehicle Fig. 3 is a, section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2. is rotatably mounted. The wheel 28 is secured Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the tractor suson the spindle 2! by awasher 21 and a nut 2|, pension with the wheels resting on uneven I the latter ofwhich is threaded on the spindle 2|. ground, one wheel being shown in broken lines; As is shownfor example inFig. 2, the spring as- A tractor ll of the tricycle or row-type is parsemblies support thewheels 20, 28 through the member l2 upon which is mounted a post It ex- These springs are obliquely disposed with respect tending downward from the forward end of the so to the plane of symmetry of the wheels, as shown, tractor. A housing structure It is disposed teleand are connected to the wheels by arms 24, II, scopically about the post I! and anti-friction having a bent shape, which arrangement is adbearing members such as roller bearings I! are vantageous in that it is compact and it reduces interposed between the post and housing structhe tendency of the shafts to tilt in the rubber ture at the upper andlower portions of the post so as a result of the cantilever action.

In operation, impacts and forces imposed upon one wheel 28 will be cushioned by the spring assembly of that respective wheel independently of the other wheel 2'. An impact will tend to move the wheel II and the arm II, which will tend to him the shaft I. with respect to the sleeve 2|, stressing the resilient body 28 in torsional sheer, which will cushion the tractor.

when a tractor is traveling over uneven ground as shown in Fig. 4, the spring assemblies will opcrate to allow both wheels 28, 28 to remain in contact with the ground, each wheel being independently sprung. In this manner the wheels ll will move to conform to the contour of the ground, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4.

If desired, such features as camber, caster. toein and inclined pivot, may be incorporated.

Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as it is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A vehicle suspension comprising a structure mounted on the vehicle for steering movement about a generally vertical axis, supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure, a connecting arm individual to each wheel extending fore and aft of the vehicle and mounted for swinging movement about an axis generally transverse of the vehicle, and a spring individual to each wheel mounted between the wheel and said structure for independent springing movement of the wheel relative to said structure and for steering movement of both wheels and said structure about said generally vertical axis, said spring comprising inner and outer members, one of said members being mounted on said supported structure, the other of said members being secured to said arm and a body of resilient rubberlike material interposed between and mounted on said inner and outer members for resisting relative movement of said members in torsional shear.

2. A vehicle suspension comprising a supported structure, a pair of supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure closely adjacent thereto, an arm and spring means individual to each wheel mounted between the wheel and said structure, said arm being connected to said spring means for rotation about an axis, and said axis as seen from above being at an acute angle to the respective wheel axis and in proximity to said structure.

3. A vehicle suspension comprising a supported ing movement of the wheels relative to said structure and for steering movement of both wheels and said structure about said axis and each of said springs as viewed from above being disposed with the spring axis inclined to the direction of :vheel travel and converging toward said strucure.

5. A vehicle suspension comprising a structure mounted on the vehicle for steering movement about a generally vertical axis, supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure, spindles upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, arm members mounted on said spindles and extending generally in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle, cylindrical torsion springs mounted in cylindrical bushings in said structure at the front and rear with axes in a generally crosswise direction thereof and as viewed from above being inclined to the direction of wheel travel and converging toward said structure and said bushings being connected to said arms for independent springing movement of the wheels relative to said structure and for steering movement of both said wheels and said structure about said axis.

6. A vehicle suspension comprising a supported structure, a pair of supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure closely adjacent thereto, a connecting arm and a torsion spring individual to each wheel mounted between the wheel and said structure providing the sole supporting connection between said structure and the wheel, said torsion spring comprising an innor and an outer member, one of said members being mounted on said supported structure and the other of said members being secured to said structure, supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure, spindles upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, arm members mounted on said spindles and extending generally in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle, torsion springs mounted on said structure at the front and rear thereof and connected to said arm members for independent springing movement of the wheels relative to said structure and each of said springs as viewed from above being disposed with the spring axis inclined to the direction of wheel travel and converging toward said structure.

4. A vehicle suspension comprising a structure mounted on the vehicle for steering movement about a generally vertical axis, supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure, spindles upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, arm members mounted on said spindles 'and extending generally in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle, torsion springs mounted on said structure at the front and rear thereof and connected to said arms for independent springconnecting arm, a body of resilient rubber-like material interposed between and mounted on said inner and outer members for resisting relative movement of said members in torsional shear, and each of said torsion springs as viewed from above, being disposed with the spring axis inclined to the direction of the wheel path and converging toward said structure.

7. A vehicle suspension comprising a supported structure, a pair of supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure closely adjacent thereto, spindles upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, arm members mounted on said spindles and extending generally in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle and bent at their outer ends away from the structure thereby increasing the intervening space between said outer ends and said structure, and torsion springs mounted at said outer ends of the arms and on said structure and disposed in said intervening space.

8. A vehicle suspension comprising a steering structure mounted on the vehicle for movement about a generally vertical axis, supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure, spindles upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, arm members mounted on said spindles and extending in a generally fore and aft direction of the vehicle, a shaft individual to each arm mounted on each of said arm members in fore and aft spaced-relation to each of said spindles, a sleeve disposed about said shaft and mounted on said steering structure, a body of resilient rubber-like material mounted between said shaft and sleeve in torque-transmitting relation thereto for resiliently cushioning vertical.

cent thereto, spindles upon which said wheels are rotatably mounted, arm members mounted on said spindles and extending generally in the fore and aft direction of the vehicle and bent at their outer ends away from the structure thereby increasing the intervening space between said outer ends and said structure, shafts mounted at said outer ends of the arms and extending into said intervening space, sleeves disposed about said shafts and mounted on said supported structure and a body of resilient rubber-like material mounted between each of said shafts and the respective sleeve in torque-transmitting relation thereto for resiliently cushioning vertical deflection of said wheels.

10. A vehicle suspension comprising a supporting structure, a pair of supporting wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure closely adjacent thereto, an arm individual to each wheel and mounted between the wheel and said structure and a torsion spring having an axis generally transverse of the vehicle and connecting said arm and said structure for pivotal movement of said arm about the axis of said spring to cushion defiection of said wheels independently. 7 v

11. A vehicle suspension comprising a surEorting structure mounted on the vehicle for steering movement about a generally vertical axis, a pair of wheels disposed at opposite sides of said structure, an arm structure individual to each wheel, said arm structure extending fore and aft of the vehicle and mounted for swinging movement about an axis generally transverse of the vehicle and for steering movement of the wheel about said generally vertical axis, said arm structure including members relatively movable about said generally transverse axis upon swinging movement of said arm structure and a body of resilient rubber-like material mounted between said members for resisting resiliently the relative movement of said members in torsional shear.

ALVIN S. KROTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,244,853 Ronning June 10, 1941 2,254,451 Ronning Sept. 2, 1941 2,273,630 Dunham et a1 Feb. 17, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 485,077 Great Britain May 13, 1938 

